dependency and neglect
-
Appeals court confirms Arapahoe County judge’s bias did not affect parenting case
—
by
Although a former Arapahoe County judge admitted to racial bias and received a high-profile public censure two years ago for her misconduct, Colorado’s second-highest court agreed there was no evidence Natalie T. Chase harbored bias against a Hispanic father specifically when she terminated his parental rights. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals decided…
-
State Supreme Court clarifies effect of serious bodily injury on child welfare cases
—
by
Once the government proves that, more likely than not, a child experienced a serious bodily injury, a judge may find no treatment plan is possible to help the parent become fit, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday. The justices took the uncommon step of hearing an appeal directly from Arapahoe County after noting the…
-
Appeals court says Denver judge was wrong to revoke woman’s jury trial for being late
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court on Thursday concluded a Denver judge wrongfully revoked a woman’s jury trial for child neglect because she arrived late the morning of the trial. Child welfare cases, formally known as dependency and neglect, are not criminal, and so a parent has no constitutional right to a jury trial. But the Colorado legislature…
-
Despite parents, child leaving state, Supreme Court rules Colorado kept jurisdiction in welfare case
—
by
Even though the parents and the child at the center of a welfare case had all left Colorado at the time of the decision, the state Supreme Court on Monday agreed that an El Paso County judge retained the ability to terminate the parents’ legal rights over their daughter. The justices concluded that based on…
-
Denver judge wrongly terminated cognitively-impaired mother’s parental rights, appeals court says
—
by
In a case involving domestic violence, homelessness and a special-needs child, Colorado’s second-highest court determined a Denver judge wrongly terminated a cognitively-impaired woman’s parental rights based on inaccurate findings about her disability. By 2-1, a three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals concluded the facts did not support Juvenile Court Judge Laurie A. Clark’s determination…
-
Technical difficulties, constitutional rights at center of Colorado Supreme Court parental case
—
by
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court appeared leery on Tuesday of concluding a father experienced a violation of his constitutional rights when a Jefferson County judge terminated the legal relationship with his child. There was no dispute that the man, identified as R.B., had notice of the hearing and a lawyer who advocated on his…
-
When it comes to child neglect, what does ‘homeless’ mean?
—
by
Colorado’s second-highest court has reversed a Delta County judge’s finding of child neglect, partly because it was unclear whether two children who lived in a tent met the definition of homeless. Being homeless is one of the conditions in Colorado law under which a court can deem a child dependent or neglected, a finding that…
-
Mesa County judge went too far in ordering sex offender treatment absent a conviction, appeals court rules
—
by
Although trial judges may require parents to receive psychological counseling for their sexual behavior as part of child welfare proceedings, they may not order parents to receive Colorado’s formal sex offender treatment in the absence of a criminal conviction, the Court of Appeals ruled last week. A three-judge appellate panel explained that the treatment standards…
